Mary P. Sinclair
Encyclopedia
Mary P. Sinclair was an American environmental activist and "one of the nation’s foremost lay authorities on nuclear energy and its impact on the natural and human environment".
where she was high school valedictorian, then graduated from the College of St. Catherine
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Subsequently, she was a teacher and editor for Chemical Industries magazine. She worked as a librarian at the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C.
, where she met and married William Sinclair in 1945. After his graduation from Georgetown University Law Center
, the couple moved to his previous home town of Midland, Michigan
. Mary took a job as a technical researcher at Dow Chemical Company
, and the couple had five children. She also worked for the Atomic Energy Commission
as a technical writer, abstracting research reports
announced their intentions to build the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station
on the shoreline of Lake Michigan
in 1967, Mary Sinclair's background in nuclear fission technology prompted her to write a letter to the editor questioning the safety of several elements of their plan.
Soon after that, a nuclear plant was proposed to supply power for Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan where she lived. Sinclair became more vocal in her opposition. She became more knowledgeable about the problems with nuclear power, complaining that important information was not being made public, and citizens had a right to know about the risks and problems that could affect their health and future. According to the Bentley Historical Library
at the University of Michigan
, her papers "illustrate how one individual's efforts can have a wide and far-reaching impact on environmental issues".
She published the paper, Nuclear Power and Public Concern in 1970. The document posed questions about nuclear power risks to government experts, scientists and academic scholars, and detailed their responses. She debated nuclear power safety with a Consumers Power Company vice president in 1974. Public Broadcasting Service
carried the show nationally, and the transcript was printed in the Michigan Education Association
's publication, Teacher’s Voice.
Sinclair campaigned for the Michigan House of Representatives from the 102nd District in 1980, but was defeated in the general election.
After cracks in the containment building's foundation and sinking caused the Midland Nuclear Power Project to be abandoned in 1984, Sinclair turned her attention back to the problem of nuclear waste disposal and the federal government's failure to provide a comprehensive solution to the nuclear waste problem over several decades. In late 1992, the New York Times identified Sinclair as being "at the forefront of a battle...around the country, as utilities seek to build casks
to hold the spent fuel"
Nuclear plants were constructing untested 100-ton concrete-and-steel storage containers to hold nuclear waste on the same property where the reactors were located and close to large bodies of water. Sinclair and her network of activists wrote letters to anyone and everyone explaining why this practice was a bad idea. She also testified at many public hearings on nuclear energy and authored numerous papers and articles.
earning a Masters degree, then taught and lectured on Energy and the Environment at UM from 1973 to 1978. She entered the Doctorate program in 1988. Six years later, at age 75, she was named a Doctor of Philosophy
in the field of Environmental communication
s; specifically resource policy and environmental education.
. and she was one of the “Ten Michiganians of the Year” chosen by the Detroit News.
The CBS newsmagazine 60 minutes
profiled her on January 27, 1985, and in 1990, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
She was selected as Michigan's “Environmental Women of Action” in 1992 in a program sponsored by Tambrands
which recognized one woman from each state.
Her story was told in Mary Joy Breton's 2000 book, “Women Pioneers for the Environment”, and the Catholic Church honored Sinclair and Helen Casey
for their commitment to peace and the environment as Jubilee Women in 2000.
Other organizations that have recognized her environmental work include her alma mater, the College of St. Catherine; Women Lawyers of Michigan; the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution; the American Ethical Union; and the Great Lakes Women’s Network Symposium on Women, Peace and the Environment.
Early life
She was born Mary Jean Palcich, raised in Chisholm, MinnesotaChisholm, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,960 people, 2,178 households, and 1,287 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,129 people per square mile . There were 2,375 housing units at an average density of 540/sq mi...
where she was high school valedictorian, then graduated from the College of St. Catherine
St. Catherine University
is a private university in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. It was established first as a women's junior college in 1966 and became a women's four-year university in 1988. It became a co-educational university in 2004.-External links:*...
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Subsequently, she was a teacher and editor for Chemical Industries magazine. She worked as a librarian at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where she met and married William Sinclair in 1945. After his graduation from Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
, the couple moved to his previous home town of Midland, Michigan
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. Mary took a job as a technical researcher at Dow Chemical Company
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
, and the couple had five children. She also worked for the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
as a technical writer, abstracting research reports
Activism
When Consumers PowerConsumers Energy
Consumers Energy is a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to more than 6 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties. It is a division of CMS Energy. Its headquarters is in Jackson.-History:The company was...
announced their intentions to build the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station
Palisades Nuclear Generating Station
The Palisades Power Plant is a nuclear power plant located on Lake Michigan, in Van Buren County's Covert Township, Michigan, on a site of 432 acres 5 miles south of South Haven, Michigan, USA.Palisades is owned and operated by Entergy...
on the shoreline of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
in 1967, Mary Sinclair's background in nuclear fission technology prompted her to write a letter to the editor questioning the safety of several elements of their plan.
Soon after that, a nuclear plant was proposed to supply power for Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan where she lived. Sinclair became more vocal in her opposition. She became more knowledgeable about the problems with nuclear power, complaining that important information was not being made public, and citizens had a right to know about the risks and problems that could affect their health and future. According to the Bentley Historical Library
Bentley Historical Library
The Bentley Historical Library is a historical library located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, her papers "illustrate how one individual's efforts can have a wide and far-reaching impact on environmental issues".
She published the paper, Nuclear Power and Public Concern in 1970. The document posed questions about nuclear power risks to government experts, scientists and academic scholars, and detailed their responses. She debated nuclear power safety with a Consumers Power Company vice president in 1974. Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
carried the show nationally, and the transcript was printed in the Michigan Education Association
Michigan Education Association
The Michigan Education Association , headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, is a labor union representing more than 157,000 teachers, faculty and education support staff throughout the state. Usually referred to as a “teachers' union” its membership also includes college faculty, public school...
's publication, Teacher’s Voice.
Sinclair campaigned for the Michigan House of Representatives from the 102nd District in 1980, but was defeated in the general election.
After cracks in the containment building's foundation and sinking caused the Midland Nuclear Power Project to be abandoned in 1984, Sinclair turned her attention back to the problem of nuclear waste disposal and the federal government's failure to provide a comprehensive solution to the nuclear waste problem over several decades. In late 1992, the New York Times identified Sinclair as being "at the forefront of a battle...around the country, as utilities seek to build casks
Dry cask storage
Dry cask storage is a method of storing high-level radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel that has already been cooled in the spent fuel pool for at least one year.. These casks are typically steel cylinders that are either welded or bolted closed. When inside, the fuel rods are surrounded...
to hold the spent fuel"
Nuclear plants were constructing untested 100-ton concrete-and-steel storage containers to hold nuclear waste on the same property where the reactors were located and close to large bodies of water. Sinclair and her network of activists wrote letters to anyone and everyone explaining why this practice was a bad idea. She also testified at many public hearings on nuclear energy and authored numerous papers and articles.
Repercussions
Dow Chemical is the largest employer in Midland, and her opposition to the high profile project considered important to Dow caused a backlash against Sinclair and her family. Their mailbox was blown up, they received threatening letters on their lawn, and were spat upon in public. Her husband's law practice was boycotted and the brake line on the family vehicle was cut. Still, Sinclair persevered. After the Midland reactor project was cancelled, a Consumers Power spokesperson commented, "I want to blame her but I don’t want to give her any credit."Higher education
Sinclair continued her education at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
earning a Masters degree, then taught and lectured on Energy and the Environment at UM from 1973 to 1978. She entered the Doctorate program in 1988. Six years later, at age 75, she was named a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in the field of Environmental communication
Environmental communication
Environmental communication refers to the study and practice of how individuals, institutions, societies, and cultures craft, distribute, receive, understand, and use messages about the environment and human interactions with the environment...
s; specifically resource policy and environmental education.
Honors
In 1984, Sinclair was honored as one of 12 "Women of the Year" by Ms. MagazineMs. magazine
Ms. is an American feminist magazine co-founded by American feminist and activist Gloria Steinem and founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin together with founding editors Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, and Mary Peacock, that first appeared in 1971 as an insert in New York magazine...
. and she was one of the “Ten Michiganians of the Year” chosen by the Detroit News.
The CBS newsmagazine 60 minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
profiled her on January 27, 1985, and in 1990, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
She was selected as Michigan's “Environmental Women of Action” in 1992 in a program sponsored by Tambrands
Tampax
Tampax is a brand of tampon from Procter & Gamble. It was originally both the name of an independent company for over 50 years, based in Palmer, Massachusetts , and the product itself. Renamed Tambrands, Inc. in 1984, P&G purchased it in 1997...
which recognized one woman from each state.
Her story was told in Mary Joy Breton's 2000 book, “Women Pioneers for the Environment”, and the Catholic Church honored Sinclair and Helen Casey
Helen Casey
Helen Casey is a British rower.- References :* at sports-reference.com...
for their commitment to peace and the environment as Jubilee Women in 2000.
Other organizations that have recognized her environmental work include her alma mater, the College of St. Catherine; Women Lawyers of Michigan; the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution; the American Ethical Union; and the Great Lakes Women’s Network Symposium on Women, Peace and the Environment.
Death
Sinclair moved from Midland to Massachusetts in the late 2000s to be near her daughter, Rosemary. She died following a brief illness on January 14, 2011.Additional reading
Women Pioneers For The Environment by Mary Jo Breton, ISBN 1555534260, March 9, 2000External links
- "Great Lakes Commentary: the Nuclear Threat to the Great Lakes" by Mary Sinclair, Ph.D, Toledo Journal of Great Lakes' Law, Science & Policy, Fall 1999
- "Michigan Womens Hall of Fame" Mary P. Sinclair